Being saved for over 50 years, I can say one thing with authority--fundamental, independent, Baptist churches and pastors have changed over the years, and drastically so during the past decade and a half. I remember Dr. John R. Rice coming to our church in Chicago every year for a two-week revival campaign. He would preach hard on the family, dating, standards, prayer, and power for the first 10 days or so; and then we would bring our unsaved friends to the services and see wonderful results. Most of my mother's relatives came through the years and were saved during these times.

Later, Bill Rice, Lester Roloff, and dozens of others had a profound impact on my life, resulting in a strong belief in the Bible teaching of separation from the world. Most of the pastors I fellowship with now share my concern regarding the drastic changes we are seeing. For some reason, the majority of churches that once stood where we do, now feel the need for women to wear pants and shorts, follow the Pentecostals in their music and other aspects of church services, and even take a weak stand on morality in life and entertainment.

The only reason I think pastors would change like this is the lure of our sinful world and the excuse that we can't build a church today without what our forefathers would call compromise. Many have come to this conclusion; however, I believe the reason is a simple lack of faith.

As I've read the Scriptures during these many years in the pastorate, they clearly say to me that if we do what God says, He will bless our efforts. If we do not, He will not. Now, Microsoft, or the Catholic church, or Hybels can build an organization with technology, ability, brains, or personality; however, if God is going to build a work through us, we must strive to be as close to what He wants us to be as possible.

Anyone who truly knows me understands that I don't believe I'm especially spiritual or godly. I am flesh, but for 35 years I have sought to walk according to the teaching of His Word, ignoring human reasoning concerning building a church. We must not "act" spiritual but strive to be the man or woman He wants us to be; and because of His mercy, grace, and power, we will be amazed and overjoyed at the results.

God wrote in Jeremiah 5:25, "Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you." In other words, He said, "I want to do this, but you want to sin and not do right; and because of your sins, the truly good things have been withheld from you." Right here Jeremiah is giving an explanation of the conditions and sad state of things of his day and ours. Most of the outstanding churches that were exploding for God when I came into the ministry have shriveled up and practically died because the leadership, or those replacing the one who was used to build the work, thought that success came from personality or organizational skills as opposed to purity, a strong stand against sin, and the power of God. Much of what we see as success today, I believe, is the result of the maneuvering of a man rather than miracles from God.

The Israelites were possessed with their sin, so what was promised to be blessings became failure, peace turned to war, joy turned to gloom, prosperity to need, victory to loss, and honor to dishonor. No matter what it looked like on the surface, all they did ended in failure. Why? Did God make promises knowing He could not fulfill them? Was he bankrupt? No! Jeremiah laid the blame where it belonged--on the people. So does Isaiah in chapter 59, verses 1 and 2, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."

God's promises are always conditional. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; THEN WILL I. . . ." The problem is never unfaithfulness in God, but unbelief in His people, and, I think, many times in His undershepherds. Everyone is offered salvation; however, there is a condition of repentance and belief.

I believe God wants to bless all believers and churches beyond our imaginations, but we just don't believe enough to stop maneuvering for human success instead of just allowing Him to mold us in His way.

God owns all. If we don't go through Him to get anything, all we will ever receive is a counterfeit from Satan, and we will fail. I'm afraid most today who are called independent Baptists are utter strangers to the highest spiritual experiences. They don't know the ABCs of faith or the joy of power in the hour of temptation. The result, I believe, is our churches changing to be acceptable to our weak generation of Christians and accepting their sin.

Can't God build lives and churches in 2003? Is the Christian life something we struggle for but never get? Did God put His standards too high for human attainment? Were His promises never meant to be fulfilled? No! The trouble is with us. Jeremiah knew where the blame belonged. Jeremiah 5:25, "Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you."

We treat sin like a French cream puff rather than a rattlesnake. We are trembling for the fear of society disapproval rather than going all out in following Christ's teachings. Why do we have to watch the junk on TV? Lester Roloff was right about it 20 years ago. Why do our women have to wear pants and shorts? The only answer is to be like the world. Surely we would not say it makes us more like Jesus. The same could be said about mixed swimming, modern church music, and the general giving in to the world in our families and churches.

The Bible clearly teaches that "whatsoever is not of faith is sin." That would relate to the rearing of our children, soulwinning, separation, everything. God says "all unrighteousness" is sin. That would include the vast majority of what is on television, but when was the last time you heard a preacher call television sin?

If the early Christians were stoned, torched, and killed, if Spurgeon and Wesley and Whitefield were hated, why doesn't the average independent Baptist church today raise the wrath of hell? Has sin changed? Have sinners changed? No! It's because we are so beautifully neutral. Our high profile leaders will even tiptoe around and retract Biblical statements about homosexuality or the Muslim heresy. We hear nothing but "religious mush" and soothing words. In I Corinthians 2:4-5 Paul says, "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." The trouble with most of us is that we wrestle not, period.

The devil has his mighty army of liberalism, the news media, and even many of our government officials. We see humanism, abortion, free sex, women's liberation, drug abuse, pornography, incest, and so much more.

The Goliaths of liberalism scream out, "Send a man to fight." Won't you be a David? Won't you hear the bugle "call to arms"? It is thrilling to be in the battle and see victories that could only come from Him.

We need preachers, men, women, and teens to truly lay themselves on the altar again and depend on God for real miracles and victories in our lives, families, and churches.

We had our finest conference ever last spring and are praying for the fire of God to fall again this year. We don't strive to get the biggest names in fundamentalism to preach at these meetings but invite men whom we believe strive to have God's power and blessing on their ministries. This year we have Bob Kelley, John Bishop, Mike Allison, Rodney Stewart, René Ouellette, and others preaching. It is an exciting meeting with great services made up of many of those who still believe in old-fashioned fundamentalism. It is great to fellowship, sing, and pray together. Please call our office for more information.

GOD'S BLESSING ON OUR CHURCH

God has continued to bless Fairhaven Baptist Church. Our bus ministry is going strong and seeing great results. Many families have been saved and have joined us through the Spanish ministry; and, as in other churches, our new Reformers Unanimous outreach is exciting.

We are also in the process of meeting with builders on the plans for major renovation on our classroom building and a large, new recreational multi-purpose building. One should be started in a year from now, and the other the next year. It is exciting to be in God's work in 2003!